Austin Mahone Is Justin Bieber 2.0 Whether He Likes It Or Not

We know you're a grown-ass woman and all, but just in case you were curious about the latest in teen heartthrob power struggles, Austin Mahone is the new Justin Bieber. #Mahomies are the new #Beliebers. Welcome to the future.

Now that Bieber is sort of crazy and bitter and smuggling monkeys on international flights, there's a vacant position for an adorable pop darling. Enter: 17-year-old Mahone, a Texas boy and Twitter darling who has been opening for Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. He kicked off his regime on the Today show today, performing his single, "What About Love," which, we have to say, is no "Baby."

Even the Wall Street Journal knows who he is, calling him "a leading contender to be the next Bieber." Of course, he's flattered by these comparisons—but only to a point.

"It's cool (to be compared to Justin Bieber), but I want people to see me as my own artist," Austin told Today. "I want to show them that I'm different."

That's going to be pretty hard considering Austin has Bieber bangs, wears red leather jackets and terrible sneakers, occasionally strums acoustic guitars, is being raised by a single mom and was discovered via YouTube. But as someone who has attended a Justin Bieber concert and died for it, I worry that Mahone lacks the raw talent of Baby Biebs. If you ask me, he may need a little more time Mahoning his craft. Does Bieber feel threatened? Is this going to send him over the edge? Maybe it will be just the kick in the ass he needs to graduate to his Justin Timberlake Justified phase. Stay tuned.

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